The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry has once again called on the government to consider reducing the energy prices, saying that medium-sized companies were paying 42% more than the EU average.

“This made the price for energy which is being paid by Maltese businesses the highest across Europe,” it said in its proposals for the 2018 Budget.

“Considering that electricity rates typically represent 12% of overhead costs for businesses, the Malta Chamber proposes a number of measures that would help businesses overcome the uncompetitive tariffs incurred, including an improved Night Tariff framework, purchasing flexibility as well as the introduction of privately-managed energy distribution substations.”

It was not acceptable that certain government departments were hindering economic operation, by either closing shop altogether, or providing their services at a premium cost, in the afternoons of the summer months

Following in the footsteps of the Malta Employers’ Association, the Chamber also warned that continuous extensions to leave allowances, the potential introduction of parental sick leave and the compensation for public holidays falling on a weekend were a ‘grave concern’ – but stopped short of suggesting any alternatives or compensation. The MEA had said that the first day of sick leave could be paid for by the government rather than the employer.

The Chamber also argued that it was not acceptable that certain government departments were hindering economic operation, by either closing shop altogether, or providing their services at a premium cost, in the afternoons of the summer months.

“The private and public sector were the two sides of the same coin called the economy, and they needed each other to function well. Therefore, the Chamber called on government to find a solution, at no cost to the private sector, to maintain uninterrupted services to business during summer afternoons.”

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